Automatic coal stoker or feeder.



No. 728,732. I I PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

P. W. LIGHTENBERGER & W. M. ZIMMERMANN.

AUTOMATIO- COAL STOKER 0R FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 31, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

Q/vitwzano I UNITE STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

PATENT: OFFICE.

PAUL W. LICHTENBERGER AND-WILLIAM M. ZIMMERMANN, OF PHILADEL- PHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATQIC COAL STOKER OR FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 728,732, dated May 19,1903. Application filed December 31,1902. Serial No. 137,293. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We,PAUL W. LIOHTENBER- GER and WILLIAM M. ZIMMERMANN,citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Goal Stokers or Feeders,of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention consists ofimprovements in furnace-charging deviceswhereby thetime of charging can be regulated.

It also consists of novel details of construction, all as will behereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a furnace-chargingdevice embodying our invention, showing a portion of the furnace in partelevation and part section. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of aportion of the operating mechanism in detached position on an enlargedscale. Fig. 3 repre sents a rear end elevation, partly in section,showing the furnace-charging device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a furnace-charging deviceconsisting of a hopper B, suitably supported and having at its lower ordischarge end a gate 0, which is pivoted in suitable hearings in saidhopper and has an arm D connected therewith, which is in engagement withthe arm E, the latter being secured to or forming part of the scuttle ormovable pan F, which is pivotally supported adjacent the discharge endof the hopper and has connected therewith the rod G,

uponwhich is movably mounted the counterweight H. Pivotally secured tosaid scuttle is a lever J, which has the two notches K and L therein,which are adapted to receive the locking-pin M, stationarily supported,said pin being adapted to enter either of the notches K or L and lockthe parts in the proper position, as will be hereinafter described.

N designates a shaft mounted in suitable bearings and upon which iscarried a hammer P, which is situated beneath the lever J and is adaptedto strike the same at the proper time to release the lever from the pinM. Secured to the shaft N is a link Q, which has pivotally connectedtherewith the bar R, which is in engagement with the arm S, one end ofwhich is in contact with the cam or serrated wheel T, which is suitablyconnected by any mechanism for revolving the sameas, for example, clockmechanism within the box U.

V designates a chute, which is situated so as to receive the contentsfrom the scuttle F when in its lowermost or discharging position, saidchute being adapted to discharge into the furnace, the discharge-openingof which is provided with a suitable valve or gate W, which is normallyclosed, but which is openedby the weight of the coal or other fuelthereagainst. Anysupporting means for the parts described may beemployed and the position of the same with respect to the furnace' canbe made according to requirements.

The operation is as follows: The parts being in the position seen infull lines, Fig. 1, the hopper B is filled with coal. The gate 0 isclosed and is held in closed position by the contact of the arm E on thescuttle with the arm D on the said gate C. The clock mechanism operatingto turn the tooth-wheel T, it will be seen that the cams thereof willdepress the end of the lever S in contact therewith in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig.

2. This will raise the rod T and turnthe shaft N in order that one endof the hammer P strikes the lever J and releases the same from the pinM. As soon as this occurs the counterweight H raises the scuttle F intothe position seen in dotted lines, Fig. 1, the gate 0 meanwhile beingopen, and the arm E and arm D will be seen as in dotted lines. The coalwill be discharged into the scuttle F, whereupon the weight'thereof willcause the same to fall, it being understood, however, that when thescuttle'F is in elevated position the pin M has entered the recess L inthe lever J, and the cams on the wheel T are so arranged that as thescuttle F is filled the shaft N is turned in the opposite direction fromthat in which it previously turned, so that the opposite end of thehammer P strikes the lever J, and this releases the same with respect tothe pin M, and the scuttle falls to the position seen in full lines,Fig. 1, the coal be ing discharged through the chute V into thefurnace-opening door W, and the parts are ready for the next operation.

It will be evident that various changes may be made by those skilled inthe art which will come within the scope of our invention, and we donot, therefore, desire to be limited to the exact construction hereinshown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a furnace-charging device, a hopper adapted to receive the fuel, agate closing the discharge end of said hopper, a. normally stationary,gravity dumping-pan, means for raising said pan to the discharge end ofsaid hopper to receive the coal, and means forvopcrating said gate toadmit the coal to pass into said pan.

2. In a furnace-charging device, a hopper, a gate at the discharge endthereof, a pan pivotally supported adjacent said discharge end of saidhopper, means on said pan for controlling the operation of said gate,means for locking said pan in a raised or lowered position, and meansfor operating saidlock to release said pan.

3. In a furnace-charging device, a hopper, a gate controlling thedischarge end of said hopper, a pan, means in said pan controlling theoperation of said gate,'a lock for said pan for holding the same inraised or lowered position, and a cam-actuated mechanism adapted torelease said lock to permit movement of said pan.

4. In a furnace-charging device, a hopper, a gate, controlling thedischarge end of said hopper, an arm on said gate, a pan pivotallysupported, an arm on said pan engaging said first-mentioned arm, acounterweight on said pan, a lever pivoted to said pan, a pin adapted toengage with said lever to lock the same, a

hammer adjacent said lover, a cam suitably actuated and'mechanismintermediate said cam and hammer for operating the latter.

5. In a furnace-charging device, a hopper, a gate at the discharge endthereof, a normally stationary pan with means for holding said gateclosed, means for locking said pan in both its upper and lowerpositions, and intermittingly-acting means for controlling said lookingdevice. v

6. In a furnace-charging device, a hopper, a movable gate at thedischarge end thereof, a pivotally-mounted pan, means thereon forholding said gate in its closed position, means for locking said pan inits upper and lower positions,an intermittingly-acting device and aninterposed rocking member for actuating the locking means.

7. In a furnace-charging device, a hopper, means controlling thedischarge therefrom, a normally stationary pan controlling said closingmeans, a counterbalance therefor, a lock mechanism for locking the panin its upper and lower positions, an intermittingly-acting device,andmeans controlled thereby for striking one member of the locking deviceto unlock the pan.

8. In a furnace-charging device, a movably mounted pan, means forlocking it in its upper and lower positions, lock-disengaging devices,and an intermittingly-acting cam for engaging with saidlock-releasingmechanism to dump the contents of the pan automatically at apredetermined time.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, WM. C. WIEDERSHEIM.

